School-age speech pathology: preparing for a school meeting
Bring your child's priorities, a few everyday examples and questions about consent, roles and fees to a meeting with school and a speech pathologist.
For a school-age speech pathology meeting, bring your child’s communication priorities, a few everyday examples and questions about who will do what. Aim to leave with an agreed next step, a named person responsible and a date to check how things are going.
This is a preparation guide for parents and carers. The examples below are prompts to discuss with your child, school and speech pathologist, rather than a treatment plan. For the service itself, see school and NDIS support and speech pathology for school-age children.
Start with what your child wants to communicate
Before the meeting, ask what your child would like adults to understand. They might want an easier way to ask for help, more time to answer a question or access to their communication system during lunch. They might have a different priority from the one adults have noticed.
Offer a way to contribute that suits them. This could be talking together, writing a note, choosing pictures, using AAC or asking a trusted adult to share a message. Ask whether they want to attend, contribute briefly or share their views beforehand. Avoid making attendance a test of communication skills.
You do not need to arrive with a polished goal. A specific situation is a useful starting point, such as “My child wants a way to say they haven’t understood the instruction.”
Prepare a short set of examples
Bring a few notes rather than every record you have. Consider:
- What your child communicates comfortably, and which supports already help.
- A situation they find difficult, described without guessing why it happens.
- Whether the situation looks different at home and at school.
- How your child currently asks for help, a break or clarification.
- Relevant reports, classroom work or communication resources you have permission to share.
Separate an observation from an interpretation. “They did not answer during group work” gives the team something to explore. It does not establish the reason. Ask the teacher and clinician what else they would need to understand the situation.
If your child uses AAC, note when it is available and who knows how to support it. Our AAC modelling guide offers related reading to discuss with the clinician.
Use a simple meeting agenda
This table is an editorial planning aid. Adapt it to your family and school.
| Discuss | Useful question | Record before you leave |
|---|---|---|
| Child’s priorities | What does my child want help communicating? | Their words or preferred message |
| Everyday situation | Where is communication working, and where is support needed? | One situation to focus on |
| Proposed support | What could we try, and who agrees to help? | An agreed action and responsible person |
| Sharing information | What can be shared, with whom and for what purpose? | The agreed consent arrangements |
| Follow-up | When will we discuss what happened? | A review date and contact person |
For example, a family might discuss how a child can ask for an instruction in another format. Ask the team what support to trial and how the child’s experience will be heard. Avoid choosing a goal solely because it makes a child appear more compliant.
Separate school access from funding
An NDIS plan does not automatically give a provider permission to deliver therapy at school. Under Queensland’s state school provider-access policy, principals consider parent requests for NDIS supports during school time individually. The policy distinguishes daily-living disability supports from educational adjustments provided by schools.
Ask about the school’s process before arranging a session. This Queensland policy does not cover provider access for classroom observations. Ask separately about observation permission, information sharing and any requirements relevant to that activity. Other states and school sectors may have different processes.
Also confirm whether a proposed activity is funded and who pays for meetings or reports. School permission and funding approval are separate matters. Our fees and funding guide lists questions to ask before agreeing to paid work.
Agree on the next step
Ask someone to send a short written summary of the agreed action, consent arrangements and review date. Check that it reflects your child’s priorities and that everyone understands their own role. If something remains unresolved, record the question and who will check it.
Want to discuss whether Speech Sprout fits your family’s needs? Book a free 15-minute call. Ask about the support you need and current arrangements before booking paid appointments.